Over the past decade, fighter pay within the UFC has been front and center in fan debate. Most believe those on the roster aren’t paid enough money for various reasons, and Dana White is often the target of the criticism.
The 56-year-old has been key in the growth of mixed martial arts. The sport lacked mainstream appeal before White and co. got involved, birthing one of the true powerhouses in modern-day combat sports. Despite the work he has done to get the UFC to where it is today, the company’s CEO is regularly blamed for some of the promotions’ shortcomings.
The company is far from perfect, and both fans and fighters have raised many issues over almost 33 years of its existence. One issue that has persisted in the UFC is the pay structure, and Dana White has long been accused of treating his athletes poorly. However, White recently admitted to completely removing himself from contractual negotiations, citing a lack of fun and a career-focused transition as the reason.
“With these guys, whenever anything would go wrong in their personal life, we were the first phone call they would make, and you know, things like that,” White said. “And obviously, it’s grown. I have completely removed myself from the negotiating part of fighter contracts.”
“I got to a point where, just, this isn’t fun anymore, man. I’m lucky that I’m at a point in my life and in my career where I can just deal with the fun stuff that I like to do.”
There has been a notable shift in focus away from the UFC by Dana White. The businessman has ventured into several other combat sports, with Power Slap and Boxing two of his more recent passion projects.
As Zuffa Boxing begins to pick up steam and create its own fanbase, White has revealed that he is a little more hands-on with the newly-founded boxing organization.
“Now, you know, I’m getting into boxing,” White continued. “We just started signing guys, and we’re coming up. This Sunday will be our third event that we’ve done, and these boxers are like, we’ve never been treated like this. We actually feel like real athletes… We have a performance institute where they come in, and everything is done for them. They train, the food, the supplements… It’s been a great ride.”